Functional foods/ingredients on dental erosion

Abstract

Dental erosion is defined as the loss of tooth substance by a chemical process (acid exposure) that does not involve bacteria [91]. With the decline of the prevalence of caries, considerable attention has been focused on tooth erosion. Dental erosion is a multifactorial condition: the interplay of chemical, biological and behavioural factors, which is crucial and helps to explain why some individuals exhibit more erosion than others. Erosive tooth wear can be caused by intrinsic or extrinsic acid, or the combination of both. There is some evidence that the presence of dental erosion is growing steadily. In the United Kingdom, the prevalence of erosion was shown to have increased from the time of the children’s dental health survey in year 1993 compared with 1996/1997 [76]. In another UK study, the progression of erosion was investigated: 1,308 children were examined at the age of 12 and again 2 years later. In this study, 4.9% of the subjects at baseline and 13.1% 2 years later had deep enamel or dentine lesions. Twelve per cent of erosion-free children at 12 years developed the condition over the subsequent 2 years. New or more advanced lesions were seen in 27% of the children over the study period [26]. The progression of erosion seems to be greater in older adults (52–56 years) compared with younger (32–36 years) and has a skewed distribution [66]. Currently, increased tooth erosion has been largely linked to the increased consumption of acidic foods and drinks. To reduce or prevent erosive demineralization, strategies have been performed in the laboratory and clinic that are directed at the modification of the chemical, biological and behavioural factors involved in the aetiology of erosion. As dietary modifications are less patient-dependent, more interest has been paid to the erosion-decreasing potential of foods or beverages by various additives. The objective of this overview is to summarize the effective strategies for dietary modification to prevent dental erosion.